Brentford 3-1 Swansea City: Ollie Watkins brace for Bees downs Swans

Brentford signed winger Bryan Mbeumo from France's Ligue 2 side Troyes AC in August

Brentford are up to third in the Championship with a fifth successive victory at Griffin Park as Ollie Watkins' brace gave them victory over Swansea City.

Midway through the first half a Brentford corner was headed back across the box by Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo was on hand to nod in the opener.

Just five minutes later Brentford doubled their lead, Watkins stretching out a leg to meet Rico Henry's cross to divert the ball past Freddy Woodman.

Andre Ayew pulled one back for the Swans with 25 minutes remaining, after David Raya only parried Bersant Celina's initial effort into the path of the Ghanaian.

Despite pressure from Swansea it was Brentford who scored late on, Watkins beating the offside trap and finishing into the bottom corner with just Woodman to beat.

• Boxing Day's EFL action as it happened

Brentford came into Thursday's game having won their last four matches at Griffin Park, and they started like the team in form.

Watkins curled a couple of early efforts wide of the far post before Mbeumo broke the deadlock, heading past Woodman to score in his four successive home game.

Moments later Said Benrahma sent Henry clear down the left, who delivered a perfectly weighted cross to Watkins for a deserved goal.

Swansea midfielder George Byers helped change the flow of the game as half-time approached, and was unlucky to see two efforts blocked first by Josh Dasilva and then Pontus Jansson.

The Swans began to pile on the pressure as the second half progressed and got their rewards when Ayew reacted quickest to Raya's save to poke the ball home.

Steve Cooper's side launched wave after wave of attacks as they went in search of an equaliser, but the Bees continued to look dangerous on the break.

And it was on the counter-attack that the Bees sealed victory, as Watkins raced clear and finished confidently past Woodman.

Victory was Brentford's first at home against Swansea since Boxing Day in 2005, as the Swans lost a fourth consecutive match on 26 December.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper said: "First half we were short, we didn't do the basics right, and in the end we gave away two soft goals and we gave ourselves an uphill challenge.

"They are a good team, take nothing away from them, but I think we gave them too much respect. For all their play they didn't create loads of shooting opportunities other than the goals.

"If you don't do the basics right you won't win any game, we try and play well and with discipline but we also try to defend well and today we didn't."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Brentford

• 1Raya
• 22Dalsgaard
• 18Jansson
• 5Pinnock
• 3Henry
• 8JensenSubstituted forNørgaardat 77'minutes
• 12Mokotjo
• 14Dasilva
• 19MbeumoSubstituted forValencia Castilloat 72'minutes
• 11Watkins
• 10BenrahmaSubstituted forZamburekat 84'minutes

Substitutes

• 2Thompson
• 6Nørgaard
• 16Valencia Castillo
• 23Jeanvier
• 28Daniels
• 31Zamburek
• 35Rasmussen

Swansea

• 27Woodman
• 23Roberts
• 44Cabango
• 20WilmotBooked at 71mins
• 24Bidwell
• 28ByersSubstituted forMcKayat 86'minutes
• 8GrimesBooked at 74mins
• 14CarrollSubstituted forKaluluat 63'minutes
• 22A Ayew
• 19SurridgeSubstituted forBastónat 63'minutes
• 10Celina

Substitutes

• 1Nordfeldt
• 6Fulton
• 7McKay
• 9Bastón
• 15Routledge
• 18Kalulu
• 26Naughton

Referee:

Andy Woolmer

Attendance:

11,848

Match Stats

Home TeamBrentfordAway TeamSwansea

Possession

Home53%

Away47%

Shots

Home19

Away16

Shots on Target

Home4

Away4

Corners

Home7

Away2

Fouls

Home8

Away12

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Brentford 3, Swansea City 1.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Brentford 3, Swansea City 1.

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt blocked. Barrie McKay (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Connor Roberts.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt blocked. Aldo Kalulu (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Borja Bastón.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt blocked. Ollie Watkins (Brentford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Dasilva.

Posted at 90'

Josh Dasilva (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Aldo Kalulu (Swansea City).

Goal!

Posted at 88'

Goal! Brentford 3, Swansea City 1. Ollie Watkins (Brentford) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Josh Dasilva following a fast break.

Posted at 87'

Attempt missed. César Joel Valencia Castillo (Brentford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.

Posted at 87'

Attempt blocked. César Joel Valencia Castillo (Brentford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Raya Martin with a cross.

Substitution

Posted at 86'

Substitution, Swansea City. Barrie McKay replaces George Byers.

Posted at 85'

Attempt missed. Jan Zamburek (Brentford) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Josh Dasilva.

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Brentford. Jan Zamburek replaces Saïd Benrahma.

Posted at 83'

César Joel Valencia Castillo (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Aldo Kalulu (Swansea City).

Posted at 83'

Attempt blocked. Saïd Benrahma (Brentford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Dasilva.

Posted at 82'

Attempt blocked. Bersant Celina (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Grimes.

Posted at 81'

Attempt missed. Saïd Benrahma (Brentford) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Kamohelo Mokotjo.

Posted at 80'

Josh Dasilva (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Matt Grimes (Swansea City).

Posted at 80'

Attempt blocked. André Ayew (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ben Cabango.

Posted at 78'

Foul by Rico Henry (Brentford).

Posted at 78'

André Ayew (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 77'

Substitution, Brentford. Christian Nørgaard replaces Mathias Jensen.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Saïd Benrahma (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a headed pass.

Booking

Posted at 74'

Matt Grimes (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 74'

Ollie Watkins (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Matt Grimes (Swansea City).

Substitution

Posted at 72'

Substitution, Brentford. César Joel Valencia Castillo replaces Bryan Mbeumo.

Booking

Posted at 71'

Ben Wilmot (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 71'

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Ben Wilmot (Swansea City).

Posted at 70'

Ollie Watkins (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 70'

Foul by Ben Cabango (Swansea City).

Posted at 69'

Offside, Brentford. Ollie Watkins tries a through ball, but Saïd Benrahma is caught offside.

Goal!

Posted at 65'

Goal! Brentford 2, Swansea City 1. André Ayew (Swansea City) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner.

Posted at 65'

Attempt saved. Bersant Celina (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by André Ayew.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Swansea City. Aldo Kalulu replaces Tom Carroll.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Swansea City. Borja Bastón replaces Sam Surridge.

Posted at 62'

Foul by Kamohelo Mokotjo (Brentford).

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